The association of Electronic Cigarette Use With SaRS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Disease Severity.

Introduction:
This text summarizes a research study on the association between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and COVID-19 outcomes. The study used data from the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank, which includes adult Kaiser Permanente members from across the United States. The study included an initial COVID-19 pandemic survey, which collected information on SaRS-CoV-2 infection and potential COVID-related risk factors, including e-cigarette and combustible cigarette smoking history. The study also used electronic health records (EhR) data to identify those with SaRS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and death within 30 days of infection.

Key Points:

* The study included 126,475 individuals who responded to the survey and completed questions on e-cigarette and combustible cigarette use.
* among survey respondents, 819 (1%) currently used e-cigarettes, 3,691 (3%) formerly used e-cigarettes, and 121,965 (96%) had never used e-cigarettes.
* During the study follow-up period, there were 3,219 new SaRS-CoV-2 infections.
* after adjustment for demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors, there was no association with SaRS-CoV-2 infection and former e-cigarette use (hR = 0.99; CI: 0.83 –1.18) or current e-cigarette use (hR = 1.08; CI: 0.76 –1.52).
* among those with SaRS-CoV-2 infection, there was no association with hospitalization or death within 30 days of infection and former e-cigarette use (OR = 1.19; CI: 0.59 –2.43) or current e-cigarette use (OR = 1.02; CI: 0.22 –4.74).
* The study was limited by self-reported e-cigarette use and included an insured population, not representative of uninsured populations in the United States.
* The study did not assess severity of COVID-19 illness in those with dual e-cigarette and combustible cigarette use due to limited numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in this subgroup.

Main Message:
The study found that e-cigarette use is not associated with an increased risk of SaRS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 illness. Therefore, electronic cigarette use alone should not be considered an indication for anti-viral therapy or monoclonal antibody use. however, the study had limitations, including self-reported e-cigarette use and a study population that was not representative of uninsured populations in the United States. Therefore, additional research is needed in those with dual e-cigarette and combustible cigarette use.

Burnett-hartman aN, Goldberg Scott S, Powers JD, et al. The association of Electronic Cigarette Use With SaRS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Disease Severity. Tobacco use insights. 2022;15. doi:10.1177/1179173X221096638